Burial vault



Feb. 21', 1933. R. COI -lEN 1,898,939

BURIAL VAULT Filed May 19, 1932 zeal 0}; Cohen,

Patented Feb. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GALION, OHIO, A CORFORATION OF OHIO BURIAL VAULT Application filed May 19,

This invention relates to grave vaults and has for its object the provision of means whereby a casket may be shipped as a unit and transportation charges thereby saved and an economy of space efiected. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and will be hereinafter fully described and defined.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section, of a burial vault and casket showing the application of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a View of the same, partly in end elevation and partly in transverse section,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional View of one of the casket supports,

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the pan or base member of the vault.

The burial vault comprises a base member or pedestal or pan 1 and a cover 2 which fits down over the pedestal or pan and is locked thereto by locking devices 3 which are mounted at the corners of the pedestal and engage an internal upstanding flange on the cover, as shown at 4. The pedestal is hollow and the locking devices are provided with handles which extend into the hollow chamber of the pedestal so that when, for any reason, release of the cover is desirable, access may be had to the handle and the locking member rocked so as to release the cover. The cover is of such proportions and form that it will fit readily over a casket, indicated at 5, which is disposed upon the pedestal. According to the present invention, loops 6 are provided on the pedestal and the casket rests upon these loops so that it is held out of contact with the top or platform member of the pedestal, and fastening straps, indicated at 7, may be passed under and around and over the casket to retain it in place. The loops 6 are welded to the platform of the pedestal, as indicated at 8, in Fig. 8, and in the tops of the loops tongues 9 of equal height and preferably arranged in clusters are struck up therefrom to aid in resisting any tendency of the casket to slide or slip upon the loops. It will be noted that the prongs 9 project from the upper faces only of the. tops of the loops, the lower faces of 1932. Serial no. 612,340.

the tops of said loops being fiat and smooth throughout their entire length and width so as not to offer any surface obstruction to the passage of the fastening straps which would tend to puncture or cut the straps and thus weaken the same. As shown in Fig; 3, the loops are inverted U-shaped mei'nbers having their ends welded or otherwise rigidly attached to the pedestal and, as shown in Fig.- 4:, they are provided in pairs, one pair being disposed upon the medial longitudinal line of the pedestal and adjacent the opposite ends thereof while the other pairs are disposed on transverse lines of the pedestal near the ends thereof. In other words, a group of loops are disposed at each end of the pedestal arranged in substantially triangular form, as shown. This arrangement of the loops not only forms a firm support for each end of the casket but permits the fastening straps to be passed around the ends of the casket at right angles to each other and thus effectually prevent displacement thereof during transportation or shipment. The fastening straps are inserted through the loops, as will be understood upon reference to Figs. 1 and 2, and the casket is then placed in position upon the loops, whereupon the straps are brought up at the sides and ends of the casket and secured under the top of the same. The cover of the vault is then lowered into place and will be automatically engaged and held on the pedestal by the locking members, indicated at 3.

The present invention provides means whereby a casket may be very firmly held in place upon a pedestal so that the vault cover may be placed over the same and the vault and the casket shipped as a single unit. Separate handling of the casket and the vault is thus rendered unnecessary and space in the transporting vehicle is saved so that transportation charges may be materially reduced. The straps may be very easily inserted through the proper loops and fastened over the casket and will restrain the casket against movement in all directions. The strain upon the straps will be reduced by the presence of the upstanding tongues 9 which will bear against the bottom of the casket and there- RALPH COHEN, or GALION, oHIo, ASSIGNOR 'ro PERFECTION STEEL BODY COMPANY, 01'

b aid in resisting movement of the same. 'l he present invention may be very readily ap lied to pedestals now in use and will not ad materially to the cost of production.

Having thus described the invention, I claim,

In a burial vault, the combination of a estal formed to mate with a cover, arched oops permanently and rigidly fixed to the u per'side of the pedestal, the loo s being a apted to engage and support a cas et, and tongues upstanding from said loops to penetrate the bottom of a casket resting on and supported by the loops and hold the casket agalnst sliding movement off the loops, the tongues being relatively short and pointed to sink into the bottom of the casket and permit the bottom of the casket to rest directly on said loops whereby the weight of the casket s. will be sustained by the loops and fracture of the bottom of the casket will be avoided, said loops being adapted to receive'straps for fastening the casket to the pedestal, the inner surfaces of said loops opposite said tongues being smooth to provide non-abrasive bearing surfaces for the straps whereby the straps may be slid through the loops without mutilation of the straps.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

RALPH COHEN. 

